LOGAN, Utah – Utah State volleyball earned its fourth Mountain West title in five seasons following a 3-0 (25-18, 27-25, 25-14) victory over Wyoming on Saturday afternoon at the Wayne Estes Center. In tandem with a Colorado State loss at Boise State, the Aggies clinched at least a share of the MW regular season title and the No. 1 overall seed in the MW Tournament.
USU has now won three regular season MW titles in the last five years, also claiming titles in 2021 and 2023 in addition to winning a tournament title in 2022. Utah State has won nine regular season conference titles overall in program history, also earning titles in the WAC in 2012 and a string of five-straight titles in the Intermountain Athletic Conference from 1977-81.
The Aggies also extended their winning streak to 15 matches, the program’s longest winning streak since 1980 and tied for the fourth-longest streak in program history overall. Utah State also posted winning streaks of 15 games in 1980, 18 games in 1977, a 23-game streak spanning the team’s 1978 national title season and 1979, and a program-record 26-game streak in 1978.
Set One
Facing a Wyoming team that entered Saturday in third place in the MW standings, the Aggies wasted little time in taking control of the match. Sophomore outside hitter Mara Štiglic recorded two aces to help power a 5-0 run directly out of the gates. Sophomore opposite side hitter Loryn Helgesen and sophomore outside hitter Andrea Simovski each recorded two kills in the early going while junior libero/defensive specialist Kendel Thompson added a service as the Aggies went up 8-1 to begin the match. The Cowgirls slowly clawed back within four points at 19-15 before the Aggies firmly shut the door as Štiglic recorded her ace of the set and teamed with redshirt freshman middle blocker Lauren Larkin on a block to key a 3-0 burst to effectively seal the set. Sophomore setter Kaylie Kofe later won a joust at the net to finish out the 25-18 victory.
Set Two
Wyoming responded in the second set, using a pair of 3-0 runs to take an early lead. Consistent play from the Aggies, however, delivered momentum back to the home side as USU scored four-straight immediate sideouts following Wyoming points to slowly but surely tie the set at 12-12. Utah State then strung several points of their own together for a 5-1 run featuring back-to-back blocks by senior middle blocker Tierney Barlow, first alongside Štiglic and then alongside Kofe to force a Cowgirl timeout. The blockfest continued with Larkin teaming up with Kofe and later with Štiglic to preserve a slim lead. Wyoming, however, countered with three-straight points to take a 22-20 lead and force an Aggie timeout. In the late stages, Utah State again pulled through in the clutch. Štiglic and Larkin earned kills immediately out of the timeout to regain momentum before a Helgesen kill and Thompson ace put the Aggies at set point with a 24-23. Following back-to-back Cowgirl points, USU then fought off a set point with a Helgesen kill and, after a Wyoming attack error, Simovski then sealed the tight 27-25 win.
Set Three
In contrast to the second set, the Aggies came out and immediately took control in the third, using a 10-2 run to take a 12-5 lead early in the frame. Barlow and Štiglic both recorded two kills during the run while Simovski earned another ace from the service line. Štiglic, Simovski and Helgesen then powered a 4-0 burst with a kill each with Helgesen and Larkin also teaming up for a block. Still, the Aggies kept their foot on the gas with a 5-1 run to push the lead to its largest point at 24-12. Simovski, Štiglic and Barlow again recorded kills before Kofe recorded back-to-back blocks, first alongside Larkin and then putting forth a solo effort to bring USU to match point where Štiglic would deliver the clinching kill for a 25-14 win.
Quick Notes
- Utah State hit .319 for the match, their 11th match of MW play with over a .250 hitting percentage. The Aggies are now hitting .260 on the season, a mark which would break the current program record of .238 set in 2016.
- USU is now averaging 15.09 kills per set during MW play, the top mark in the league and just short of a full kill more than second-place Colorado State (14.15). Utah State’s 15.09 kills-per-set average would rank first in the nation over the entire season. As it stands, the Aggies rank 21st nationally with 13.84 kills per set over the full season.
- Helgesen and Štiglic tied for the team lead with 14 kills apiece. Helgesen has now tied or led the Aggies in kills in seven-straight and nine matches overall, while Štiglic has led USU in a team-high 10 matches this year.
- Helgesen hit .273 for the match and added four digs and two blocks.
- Štiglic finished with a .379 hitting percentage and added three aces and four blocks, both one short of tying her career-high.
- Barlow added nine kills on a team-high .529 hitting percentage, also adding three blocks.
- Simovski flirted with her seventh double-double of the season, finishing with eight kills and nine digs while adding two aces and two blocks.
- Thompson led USU with 10 digs and tied Štiglic for the team lead with three aces.
- Larkin set a new career-high with eight blocks to lead the Aggies, also adding three kills.
- Kofe again led Utah State with 42 assists, her fourth time this season recording 40 or more assists in a three-set match, a feat which has been achieved only once by any other MW player this season. Kofe also added seven digs and set a new career-high with four total blocks.
Up Next
The Aggies head out for their final road matches of the regular season, first taking on Fresno State on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. (MT), before facing San Jose State on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 1 p.m. (MT).
Single-game tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here or by contacting the USU Ticket Office at 435-797-0305.
